The Butler County press. [volume], September 23, 1932, Image 1

About The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946

Image provided by: Ohio History Connection, Columbus, OH

                
*?Z
"."V
VOL. XXXII. No. 24
Forty-Hour Week Big Biz',
Coal, Offering No
New York City (ILNS)—Bankers
plan to sabotage the 30-hour work
"#eek is possible, if the "low down,"
as published by the New York Times
is true.
In a week that saw car loadings go
Up without any seasonal reason in a
burst unequalled during the depres
sion, and that saw the well-known
United States Steel back log start
buck toward obesity for the first time
in 17 months, the bankers let out
the news that they are for a 40-hour
week and not a 30-hour week.
"The maintenance of present prices,
'for securities and most of the com
modities," says the Times in its Wall
street news, "will depend largely up
on what success is obtained in reduc
ing unemployment, according to bank
ers." So far, so good, but—
"In the last two months," the Times
goes on, "there has been some reduc
tion in unemployment, but the fig
ures still have not been reduced suffi-
UNITED CIGARS
Charged With Switching
Huge Cash Fund
New York City (ILNS)—Revela
tions of the methods of great corpor
ate organizations are coming to the
surface in relation to the receivership
of the United Cigar Stores Company,
biggest retailer of non-union cigars.
Information coming to Internation
al Labor News Service is that the
receiver, named August 29, imme
diately cancelled all store leased
throughout the country. Almost im
mediately, it is said, these leases were
renewed at a figure averaging 50 per
cent of the original lease price.
In the ten days following the re
ceivership the common stock de
scribed downward and upward
curve with sales rising to tremendous
proportions.
On the day before receivership the
stock opened at $1.60, closing at $1,
where it opened on August 29, to
close at three-fourths, with sales of
279,400 shares. On August 30 the
stock went down to one-half, with a
movement ocf 76,800 shares. The
price ranged around one-half to five
eighths continuously for more than a
week, with heavy movements of stock
Continuing on the basis of 50 cent
prices until about September 5, when
the price again moved back up to $1
and $1.25. Market observers declare
that within the period of this fall
and rise enormous fortunes were
cleaned up, so that liquidation brought
great sums, presumably to those who
were "in the know."
Nor is that all. Cancellation of the
leases is being opposed by landlords
who contend the United is in a posi
tion to meet its obligations on the
contract basis and that once a per
manent trusteeship is established
they will be without recourse. There
are 1,000 leases in 40 states, and the
Men Attention
ALL MEN'S
WALK-OVER
SHOES
CARRY THIS
LABEL
.WORKERS UNION
UNIO AMP
Factor/
Leifheit's
Walk-Over Boot Shop
214 High Street
Ambulance Service
Phone 35
1
Wall Street Confession, Via New York Times, Forecasts
Big Business Refusal of Work-Week Short Enough
To Absorb Unemployment.
ciently to warrant current price lev
els, it is contended."
Therein is confession that present
gains are not on a solid foundation.
The Times then goes on to state the
bankers' position:
"However, the opinion is voiced
that if the 'share-the-work' campaign
results in a 40-hour week as the basis
for industry, it ultimately will bring
a substantial reduction in unemploy
ment, although in this connection it
is asserted that most industries are
now -working less than 40 hours a
week."
The upshot of the whole statement
is that the bankers, aiming at the 40
hour week and claiming that most in
dustries now work less, see no hope
whatever for more employment or the
end of depression, as far as the work
ers are concerned. Which indicates
that the bankers have learned noth
ing and are inclined to a desire to
perpetuate their ignorance.
Irving Trust Company, nominated to
be trustees, is preparing a report on
each.
Hearings here have been given an
other sensation in the form of charges
to the effect that prior to the bank
ruptcy the United transferred $2,
000,000 in cash to a new Delaware
corporation formed in March. These
charges were made by counsel repre
senting Pennsylvania creditors. It
was charged the money was paid for
stock in the new corporation and that
this was but subterfuge to transfer
the money out of the reach of cred
itors.
POWER DEMAND
REGISTERS GAIN
By RALPH P. COUCH
Demand for electrical power is in
creasing and supplying additional
ground for belief that a fall upturn
in manufacturing activity is at hand.
The demand or consumpion of elec
tric power is virtually equivalent to
production. Reports on production,
issued weekly by the National Elec
tric Light Association, show gains in
each of the last three weeks. Produc
tion rose to 1,465,000,000 kilowatt
hours of energy in the week ended
September 3. That was an advance
of 28,000,000 hours over the produc
tion of the preceding week which was
reported as 1,437,000,000 hours. In
the week ended August 20 production
was 1,432,000,000 hours and in the
week of August 13 it was reported
at the low point of 1,415,000,000 kilo
watt hours.
The gain in power output is small,
but it is the change in direction of
the production curve that is bringing
encouragement.
HOTEL WORKERS
FIGHT DRYS
Robert G.Taylor Mortuary
Formerly
THE C. W. GATH CO.
Buffalo, N. Y. (ILNS)—With state
chairmen throughout the country un
der specific instructions as to meth
ods of procedure, the Hotel and Res
taurant Employes are waging deter
mined warfare against all dry con
gressional candidates. The union is
co-operating with the American Ho
tel Association committee on prohi
bition. The union aims also to cam
paign vigorously against all dry can
didates for state legislatures. It
takes the view that the fate of the
dry laws rests with legislatures and
is concentrating its fire on candidates
for such offices in one of the most
vigorous offensives ever waged by
any union in a political struggle. The
campaign is under direction of Pres
ident Edward Flore and Secretary
Treasurer Robert Hesketh.
Funeral Directors
•*. V
WHAT NEXT?
A safety gasoline is being offered.
It is not inflammable. Matches can be
lighted and immersed in the fluid,
without ignition. Engines must be
adjusted to its use.
Subscribe for the Press.
Chairs and Tables Rented
17 So. Street
v"
1 "v" -y ",*'''*
^f'U^l -5^ *r..-*#
i'-"^'- '•'.' -, ,-j .:.V 'i: .'•" .' *,: I
Q[
(CopyrljM, W. N^U.)
i vs V-—^
He said that pay reductions have
not only resulted in tremendous busi
ness losses because of the smaller
buying power of wage and salary
earners, but have also added large
numbers to the unemployed army.
He declared that organized labor
will continue its resistance to wage
slashing and will use every oppor
tunity to restore former pay sched
ules.
-Mr. Green said, in part:
Wage Standards Lowered
"For almost three years the own
ers and management of industry have
with few exceptions followed a de
structive, distressing wage-cutting pol
icy.
"Wage standards which had been
built through years of effort have
been lowered, and as a result millions
of workers have been reluctantly
forced to adjust their living stand
ards upon a lower level.
"Through this enforced policy of
wage cutting imposed upon workers
in spite of their solemn protests, buy
ing power has been destroyed and the
market for the sale of goods has been
curtained and restricted.
"The loss in wages and salaries re
sulting from unemployment and wage
reductions for 1930 and 1931 amount
ed to $26,667,000,000.
"We can properly speculate upon
the effect which must follow a de
struction of such vast buying power
as is represented in these figures.
Low Wages Reduce Sales
"It is presumed that reduction in
wages are based upon the theory that
cost of manufactured goods will be
reduced and that the prices of com
modities will be less, and as a.result
more goods will be sold.
"What are the facts and what has
actually happened? A reduction in
the wages of steel workers was not
followed by an increase in the sale
of steel products, nor was a reduc
tion in the wages of coal miners fol
lowed by an increase in the sale of
bituminous coal.
"The same results have followed
the imposition of wage reductions in
all other lines of industrial produc
tion. Low wages have been followed
by reduced sales.
"Wage reductions and closed fac
tories are correlated.
"Wage cutting has produced chaos,
misery, unemployment and a decrease
in the volume of goods sold.
Cost-of-Living Wages Unsound
"The argument that reduced wages
were justified because of a decrease
in the cost of living is fallacious
and unsound.
"The facts show that the incomes
of workers began to decline ill Sep
tember, 1929.
This preceded a most slight and im
perceptible reduction in living costs
which began two months later, in No
vember, 1929.
V^ $%¥*
TlTTm-r^^V-l ~B~k. /^rv -w -y—m. Tr,im -v
President of A. F. of L. Says Low Pay Causes
Unemployment and Decreased Business—Or
ganized Labor Will Oppose All Pay Cuts and
Fight to Restore Former Wage Schedules.
Washington.—William Green, pres
ident of the American Federation of
Labor, made a vigoi*ous attack on
wage cutting employers and riddled
the cost-of-living justification for pay
slashes.
l'
HAMILTON, OHIO, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1932
Good-bye
Chaos Produced By Three Years
Of Wage Cutting, Green Declares
"From the peak: month the work
ers' incomes have declined 59.2 per
cent, while the cost of living has
dropped 23.6 per cent only.
"Workers' losses in income have
been more than twice what they
gained through a reduction in the cost
of living.
"The real buying power of workers
in factories and on railroads now is
only a little more than one-half what
it was during the peak month of 1929.
Buying Power Destroyed
"What sort of an economic philoso
phy is it that permits employers and
industrial management to assume
that buying power can be stimulated
and be made more active through a
destruction of the power to buy?
"Can more goods be sold when peo
ple are compelled to buy less? Can
the market for the sale of goods con
sume and use more when the pur
chasing power of those who consti
tute the market is destroyed Ob
viously, such an economic theory is
contradictory and unsound.
Wage Cutting Injures Business
"Wage cutting has greatly injured
the amusement and luxury indus
tries, forced the removal of thousands
of telephones from thousands of
homes and business offices, and cur
tailed the volume of business done by
communication, transportation and
public service industries.
"Wage reductions have enlarged
the red side of the business legder.
"They injure all and help no one
They do not point to the road along
which industrial management must
travel in order to reach prosperity.
High Wages Mean Prosperity
"Unemployment will be overcome,
business will improve, economic sta
bility will be restored when the own
ers and management of industry
cease their pursuit of a stupid, un
wise, destructive wage-cutting policy.
"We will start back when wages
stop going down.
"A return of prosperity will cor
respond with the restoration of
wages and buying power.
"When there is placed in the hands
of the people an enlarged buying
power, when wages ascend and in
comes increase and when commodity
prices rise, prosperity will return.
"People cannot be employed when
there is no demand for manufactured
goods.
"There can be no demand for man
ufactured goods where there is no
market.
"There can be no market when those
who make up the market are unaWe
to buy. The power to buy must be
restored, and this can only be done
through the creation of employment
and the payment of high wages."
Firm Opposition to Pay Cuts
"We shall protest and oppose wage
reductions wherever imposed," Mr.
Green concluded.
"We refuse to accept as final any
reduction in wages imposed through
force and as a result of economic
pressure. If forced to yield to su
perior strength, economic or indus
trial, we will bide our time and when
the first favorable opportunity comes
we will strike back and fight with all
our strength to restore the wage rates
and conditions which have been taken
away."
BRUSH PLANT
In Leavenworth Prison De
prives Free Men of Jobs
New York.—H. M. Rinehart, as
sistant secretary of the American
Brush Manufacturers' Association,
filed a petition against the installa
tion of automatic machinery at Lea
venworth federal penitentiary with
the Shannon congressional committee
investigating alleged governcent
competition with private business.
Mr. Rinehart said the large output
of the Leavenworth factory was a
gross injustice to American labor,
and that "criminals are assured em
ployment while employes of legiti
mate brush manufacturers are thrown
out of work."
He contended that with high-pow
ered machinery the Leavenworth
brush factory was "endeavoring to
monopolize the brush market in gov
ernment departments." He added
that. legislation made it compulsory
that federal departments buy brushes
from the prison factory as long as
the required stock was on hand for
delivery. He asked that legislation be
enacted to restrict prisoners to hand
labor."
"I think you are absolutely right,"
said Representative Robert F. Rich,
of Pennsylvania, a member of the
committe, "in so far as it is wrong
to give preference to men in penal
institutions at a time like this, when
men are out of employment on the
outside. Those in charge of prison
institutions should refrain from us
ing automatic, high-speed machin
ery."
Representative Samuel B. Petten
gill, of Indiana, also a member of the
committee, expressed the conviction
that "the honest worker should be
given preference over the criminal in
any event, even if it is carried so far
as cutting out all industrial opera
tions in prisons."
Textile Mill Strikers
Maintain Solid Front
Charlotte, N. C.—The strike of the
workers at the Hannah-Pickett Mills,
Rockingham, ended its third week
with no prospect of settlement. The
strikers have organized a union and
refuse to return to work until the
management meets their demand for
higher wages, recognizes the union,
and ret-employjs certain workers
classed as undersirable by the bosses.
W. B. Cole, president of the mill
his son, Robert Cole, secretary, and
M. B. Heath, another executive, left
Rockingham for extended vacation
trips. They announced the mills
would be closed for an indefinite pe
riod.
At High Point, N. C., the strike of
the employes of the Stehli Silk Mills
against a wage cut continues. All
efforts to settle the strike have been
futile due to the workers' determina
tion not to take the pay slashes.
.' '"-k V i
New York.—August was the third
month in which the newspapers have
been full of items intended to convey
the impression that the United States
is in the revival stage of the busi
ness cycle, according to "The Labor
Bureau, Inc."
When the statistics were published
for June and July, the statement add
ed, it became apparent that the facts
were exactly the reverse of the im
pressions created by the news stories
in the papers. So far as information
is available for August, the same recr
ord seems to be repeated.
Production and employment, ad
justed for seasonal influences, con
tinue their downward way, while
there is no satistical evidence of the
revival which is supposed to be tak
ing place in wholesale trade.
MERRY-GO-ROUND
Authors Lose Job After Rid
icule Book Issue
Washington, D. C. (ILNS)—
Washington Merry-Go-Round author
ship is hard on the authors.
Robert S. Allen and Drew Pearson
are the co-authors of the book ridi
culing high political figures and fig
urines.
About a year ago Allen was drop
ped from the staff of the Christian
Science Monitor, following the first
issuance of the book. Now that the
second edition is out Drew Pearson
has been discharged by the Baltimore
Sun.
Pearson has charged that Secretary
of War Pat Hurley demanded that the
Sun discharge him because of a chap
ter on Hurley. Huxley denies this.
Publisher Paul Patterson denies it
and Contributing Editor Henry L.
Mencken denies it. Mencken says lib
erals will be quick to believe the Sun
acted because Hurley demanded it,
and adds: "They would believe it if
they were told his beheading has been
demanded by Clarence True Wilson.
For liberals are natural damned fools
and always credit and cherish what
ever is most incredible." The paper
and its executives assert Pearson was
dropped because of "a series of inci
dents." The managing editor of the
Sun added, "I am not going to lend
myself to press agentry for a book."
The incident has kicked up a first
class row, with Congressman La
Guardia, Senator Costigan and Henrik
Van Loon issuing statements de
nouncing the Sun's action.
JOBTNSURANCE
Furtherance Urged By Tex
tile LTnion Head
New York.—Thomas F. McMahon,
president of the United Textile Work
ers of America, in his report to the
biennial convention of the union here,
urged the delegates to favor a system
of compulsory unemployment insur
ance to be established under federal
or state control.
The jobless worker, he said, had
little hope for relief except through
charity. It was therefore necessary
to secure some better method of al-
"v o" v
i*+*rg** P-^ .* 4 ^*V :/-', ?S
Labor Bureau Discounts
Business Upturn Reports
Holds That Statistics Do Not Warrant Optimistic Newfe
Stories Regarding Industrial Revival—Stock Market
Prices Not Reliable Guide.
Don't
THIRD
AT THE
BUTLER COUNTY
FAIR
Next Week
i
1
u a i U
,-?» ^'T'.
it-
*t*"::V
*'r V'
-r
-*, j,+s .». "si
ONE DOLLAR PER TSAR
The spirit of confidence is derived,
of course, from the rise of prices, es
pecially of prices in the stock and
bond markets, the Labor Bureau con
cluded. There is a superstition in the
United States that the trend of stock
prices forecasts the trend of business
some months in advance.
We call it a superstition because
there is little evidence for it in his
tory.
Sometimes stock prices lag behind
business conditions, sometimes they
go in the opposite direction.
The stock market is almost wholly
a speculative one, based on the spec
ulative psychology it does not neces
sarily reflect real conditions.
Speculators are wrong about as
often as they are right in their an
ticipation of what is to happen.
leviation than haphazard doles.
He believed the insurance system
should require industry to pay a per
centage of the payroll into the insur
ance fund. He declared that since
the employes had no jurisdiction over
industry and could not of themselves
mitigate unemployment, the employ
ers should make up the entire fund.
Vice Presidents Frank Gorman and
William F. Kelly urged the immediate
establishment of the eight-hour day
in the textile industry and the restor
ation of 50 per cent of the wage cuts
made during the last two years.
"The only bright spot on the hori
zon is the recent tendency toward im
provement in prices of raw materials
and finished goods," Mr. Gorman said.
"This is important and healthy, but
there will be no permanent improve
ment until the employers in the tex
tile mills recognize their duty to la
bor."
John Bradley Killed
Elizabeth, N. J. (ILNS)^-John
Bradley, president of Local 245, Jour
neyman Plumbers, Gas Fitters and
Steamfitters, died in Elizabeth Gen
eral Hospital after having been in
jured fatally by an automobile while
crossing a state highway. Bradley's
identity did not become known until
the day after the accident. He had
been in charge of plumbing in the
public school system here. He had
been president of his union 10 years.
Paterson Silk Workers
Vote Strike in Wage Fight
Paterson, N. J.—The Amalgamated
locals of the United Textile Workers
started the machinery here for call
ing a strike of about 10,000 textile
workers following the failure to reach
an agreement on wages and hours at
a conference with delegates of the
Broad Silk Manufacturers' Associa
tion and the mayor's conciliation
committee.
Officials of the textile workers said
their demands called for an eight
hour day and a piece work wage scale
of at least $20 a week. Delegates of
the manufacturers agreed to grant a
forty-eight-hour week pending an in
vestigation and discussion of wages.
The workers refused the offer.
Fail
TO SEE
Our Exhibit
1-
o w i n i e
COURT
»»%a
•"S:
'V
1
t-WtMUJIIfitt*
V. 1